Controller for automatic musical instruments.



A. J AM ESON. CONTROLLER FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLICATIONFILED MAY 26, 1910.

Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

" /Ill (Juveufoz Alexander Jameson.

A. JAMESON. CONTROLLER FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL LNBTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26.1910.

1,109,992. Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

witnesses 314W" Alexander .10 melon WW M A. J AMESON. CONTROLLER FORAUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION TILED MAY 26,1910. 1,109,992. Patented Sept. 8, 1914.

4 SEER? SHEET 3.

Hill IIIH'" 7 73% finance 54 1M. 5 M%%M 3} Suva l'oz- Alexander JamesonA. JAMESON. CONTROLLER FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. APPLIUATIONYILED my 26, 1910 1,109,992. Patented Sept. 8, 19m

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Sum fo'c L W A lexa ndar' Jameson UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- ALEXANDER.IA'MESON, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, AssiGNoR Tor. a. HENSHAW,

or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, TRUSTEE.

."CONTROLLER FOR AUTOMATIC IVIUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t-ed S t, 8 1914 Application filedMay 26, 1910. Serial No. 563,527.

To all vrlioin it m (1;; cancer-Ii:

.B'e it known that 1, ALEXANDER JA.\[ESON,'

a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in LlIG COUHtyof Marion and V State of" Indiana, have invented a new and usefulController for Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following isa specification. 1 v V AFr the-present time player pianos or autoinaticplayer attachmentsjfor pianos are quite common and these devices havecon trolling levers by means of which their various mechanisms may becontrolled in order to vary theIspeed-of sound production, the

force exertedv upon the soundjproduci'ng members, and so, forth; buttheleversor other member-shy means of which such control is exercised aregenerally quite small and accessible only by aperson seated at theinstrument, so that a singer appearing in the usual positionof'performance before an ..audie nce would be unable to control .theoperation of the instrument.

The objectfof my present invention is to yprovide a mechanism by meansof which 'an automatic musical instrument of the type 'described, or oneespecially-constructed for use in connection with my invention, may be Ire a dily controlled from a distant point 80 means of anapparatusconveniently held in one hand of the controlling operator, theconstruction'being such that the cont rolling operator may, whilecontrolling the operation of the musical instrument, perform as 85 asinger or other soloist.

The accompanying dra wings illustrate my invention. 7

' Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ordinary and common form ofplayer piano equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 a detail in partialsection. and about full'size of the controlling member of my apparatusand one of the .le\ 'e r-ope.rating members, of an electricabtype;Fig. 3a view of a modified 46 controlling apparatus actuated by air pres"sure; Fig. 4 an enlarged'detail of one of the port ons shown in Fig. 3in connection with theeon trolling member therefor; Fig. 5 a,

View similar to Fig. 4 showing a modified 5.0 electrical apparatus; Fig.6 a view similar to Fig. 4 showing air-controlled lever-operatu g ,meansand elcctmodi y-controlled valve mechanism for controlling tl'ieair-controlled members; Fig. 7 a sectional detail of a modilied form inwhich the connection between the controlling member and the leveroperating member is an incompressible liquid, and

Fig. 8 a section on line 88 of Fig. 7;-

, in Figs. 1 and Q of the'drawin'g's, l0 indi catch the musicalinstrument provided with a plurality of'leveis 11, 11 by means of whichthe different functions olithes'player \vitlreach of the levers 11. soas to operate the same, is the core 12 of a solenoid 13. The 030i] ofthe SQlQlmiLl 13 is divided into a plurality of scctions by taps 1- 15.16. 17, 1b. and 19, as many L(,'l'l0|1S being provided as may bedesired, one for each desired position of the lever ,11. The controllingmember of my apparatus may be given any desired form but preferably onewhich can-be 'nicchauism may be controlledl Associated.

readily grasped in one hand and l I have therefore shown this member ascmnposed of a maincylindiical casing 24 in which is this controlling-member will be modified in' accordance with the particular type of apsparatus which it is to control. In Fig. 2

mouuted a plurality of plungers or finger."

each plunger 25 mounted in a tube' 27 ar ranged within casing 24 andprovided at one side with an insulating strip 28 in which ismounted aplurality of electrically insulated terminals 29 which are connected.byasuitable cable 31 with the different taps 14' to 19 inclusive of thecoil of the solenoid 13. Plunger 25 carries a pair of terminal fingers32 one of which is in continuous en gageinent with tube 27 and the otherof which is adapted to be brou ht successively into contact with theterniinai 29. A spring 34 serves to normally project each plunger tothe'positionshown in Fig. .2. 'The severaltnbes 27 are connected to areturn line 35 which is carried to one terminal of a suitable electricsupply 36, the other terminalof 1 said supply being connected by wire 37with the terminal of the coil of the solenoid 13.

In operation the operator may, by projec'ting the desired plunger 25into the/controlling member 24, connect one ormore of the sections ofthe coil of the corresponding solenoid 13 with the current supplyandthus cause the core 12 to move into the'coi tain definite amount whichwilLthus shift the corresponding lever 11 to the -de sired position soas to affect the player mechanism to the desired extent. As soon as theoperating ios plunger is released the lever 11 will be returnedimmediately to its normal position I provided an air cylinder 41 andpiston 42 for controlling each lever 11, a. spring 43 serving tonormally project the piston in one direction. Leading from one end ofcylinder 41 is a passage 44 connected-to a suitable vacuum producer sothat, when the machine is in operative condition, the vacuum producedwithin the cylinder 41 will serve to entirely overcome spring Arrangedadjacent cylinder 41 is a valve chamber 45 within which is mounted avalve 46 controlling a passage 47 which forms a communication betweenchamber 45 and cylinder 41.

Leading into valve chamber 47 is an air inlet 48. Leading into chamber45 below valve 46 is a passage 49 which leads to a vacuum chamber. Aspring 51 acts upon valve 46 to drive it to the position shown in thedrawings. Leading from chamber 45 below valve 46 is an air passage 52which leads to one of a series of chambers 53 formed in the casing 24adapted to be held in the hand of the controlling operative, this casing24' being very similar to the casing 24. Projectible into each chamber53 is a plunger 25"which is normally held in the position shown byspring 54. The plunger 25 operates as a valve to normally prevent inflowof air into chamber 53 from atmosphere but said plunger is provided withan elongated. opening by means of. which greater or lesser communicationvvith the interior of the chamber 53 may be established.

In operation a desired vacuum is maintained in passages 49, 52 and 44and cyl' inders 41 and chambers 53, this vacuum serving to drawvalves-46 and pistons 42 to the sired amount of inflow of air from theatmosphere into chamber 53 may be permitted. This air will flow throughpassage into the lower end of the valve chamber 45 and thus reduce, to agreater or lesser extent, the vacuum in the lower end of said valvechamber so as to permit sprim 51 to drive valve 46 upwardly so as toopen passage 47 to a greater or lesser extent thus permitting inflow ofair through opening 47 into cylinder 41 a and thus decreasing, to agreater or less extent, according to the distance the opening 47 isuncovered by the movement of the valve 46', the effect of the suctionthrough passage 44, and thus permitting spring 43 to drive piston 42 tothe left and ,to operate lever 11. As soon as plunger 25' is permittedto resume its normal position a vacuum is re established in the chamber53 and passage 52, valve 46 is drawn back so as to close opening 47, anda vacuum is again reestablished in cylinder 41 so as to draw piston 42back to its normal operatin position.

In the construction shown in Fig. 5 the lever 11 is controlled bythe'eore 12 of a solenoid 13 like that shown in Fig. 2. In this form theseveral sections 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 of the coil of the solenoid areconnected to terminals 14, 15', 16', 17 and 18 respectively of solenoidswitches 14", 15,-

16", 17" and 18" respectively, the coils of which are in circuit withthe terminals 29 of the hand piece 24, these terminals 29 beingengageable by the terminals 32 of the plunger 25. A battery, or othersource, 81 is connected by wires 82 and 83 with the solenoid coils andthe terminals 14 to 18. In this construction, whenever the properplunger 25 is shifted so as to bring the terminals 32 in position toconnect the desired one of terminals 29 the proper solenoid 14" to 18 isenergized so as to close the proper switch 14 to 18', and thus energizethe coils of solenoid 13 in such way as to produce the desired positionof core 12 and the consequent desired position of lever 11. Thisconstruction permits the use of heavier currents in the solenoid than inthe hand pieces.

The structure shown in Fig. .6 is a combination of the structures shownin Figs. 2 and 4. In this form the cylinder 41 has an air inlet 47 whichis opened and closed to a greater or lesser extent by means of a. valve46 carried by a solenoid core 61. The posh tion of this core iscontrolled. by a multi sectional coil 62 the different sections of whichare connected to terminals 29 'in the hand piece 24, each plunger 25carrying terminals 32 which connect said terminals 29 as in the formshown in Fig. 2. A vacuum is normally maintained by means of passage 44and a suitable pump (not shown).

In the construction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 the cylinder 41, piston 42and spring 43 are like the same parts shown in Fig. 4 the vacuum beingmaintained in cylinder 41 through passage 44. The cylinder is providedwith air inlets 47 and 48 controlled by valve 46". The position of thisvalve 46 is controlled however by an incompressible liquid, such as oilor water, 71 which is shifted through tube 72 from the hand piece 24".In this form each finger plunger 25" is provided with a piston head 73mounted in a cylinder 74 formed in thehand piece and connected with oneof the tubes 72. Each finger piece is normally held outwardly by asuitable spring: 75 and an inward movement of the finger plunger willtend to drive the liquid 71 through the apparatus in sm'h way as to openvalve l6" against thev action of the spring 46.

It will be roadily appreciated from the above that my invention mayassume a very large variety of forms without, however, dc parting fromthe l'umlamental feature of the invcntion which consists in theprovision of two devices one of which comprises a multiplicity ofmembers arranged in connco tion with the musical instrument in such Wayas to operate its controlling lovers or men'ihors, and tho otlnr ofwhich consists of an apparatus whirh may he oarrird to a point distantfrom tho HHlr-lUll instrument and there be llltllllljlllul ll by theoperative.

I claim as in) invr-ntion:

l. A mal'iirmlator for automatic ninsiral instrinnmits mniprising aplurality of motors each liming a m vable incinhcr adapted to ong aguand operate a controlling mvaihor of the nm iral inr-u'rnmr-nt and eachroinprising moans for vstahlishing a multiplicity of posi tions of saidmoiahlc rncml-ur. and a con trolling nn-nihor, said vontrolling:inomla-r m mprising a plurality of indvpuml'intly movable niotnhcrs r-ayh vapahio of taminging' a nmltiplnrrtv ol positions. and moans contrlled my each of said last incntiontul movable inwnlmrs in itsm'liltiplirity of positions for causing the m vablo incinot thecm'rr-spon lingx motors to occupy the corrcspoinlmg one of itsnniltiplioitj," ot

positions.

A ina'mpnlatm tor automatic nuisusal instruments comprising a pluralityof motors each consisting of an air cylil'nler, a piston mountedtherein, and a valve variably positionable to variably control the flowto and from the cylirnler; m ans carried by the piston for enmging andoperating a con trolling member of the musical instrument; ahandportahlc controller transportable to and from a point distant fromthe plurality of motors and comprising a plurality of independent ymovaole members, and intnn mediate connections between each of said independently movable members and a. valve of a moto' for controlling thepovition of such valve.

it. The combination, with a musv .wl in: Win moot, nwchanieal means forantoioatiually sounding the same, and a plurality ol' -on trollcrnmnlwrs Capalilo ol' otrup multiplicity of positions by whit ll list),4; tion of they llltt'lltlllti'tll antoroatitrounding naj-rhanisin maybe contiollut of 1 hand plot-o having a plurality of intllt'lil'lymovable controlling mwmlmr wt rapalile of occupying amultiplicity nl' gr 1': ns art-ll intm'lnt-diato connections lJtlV-L'Lialto sm oral controlling mcn'h s t tlw lwmllpitseo and aorrcspondingcontroller nztrnilwrs of the l'llllnltTtll lllhl lllllltlil, wherebymanipulation of the hand-piety znonilwr will rmitrol the operation ofthe instrument.

=1. Tho ttlll'llllhst an with a .nnrzical inatrw nit-n1. ltllt ilttlllCleans for automatically ,ionnlling tho san and a plurality of cointrollor nicinhors capable of oconpying a m ltiplicity of pa, ions bywhich th oporw tion of the incclmninal automatic sounding w-lianisin maybe contrnllmil, ol in liming a movable:- controllin lfl fillT'Q/Icapable f (woupving a multiplicity of posh l lions, and intermediateoonmaztions lietvs'een tln" controlling mmnher of the hantl-pieoe a hand'75 ulnl corresporaling controller naemlivr of the llllrlCtllinstrument, whereby manipulation ol' the handpirtte member will controlthe oporation of the instrument,

In witness \vhnrcot, l have lie-ran? my this twentieth day of May, VA.1). one thousand nine hundred and ten.

A LEAN DER J AMESON \Vitnesscs An'rnm: M. Hoot), Tnmms W. McMEANs.

set

hand and seal at linliainipolis lndlana,

